Demonstrating good bedside manner is a crucial skill for any healthcare professional. It encompasses qualities such as empathy, compassion, active listening, and effective communication skills.
While good bedside manner has always been important, it is even more so in today’s healthcare landscape. Below, we discuss why good bedside manner is so important.
Importance of Good Bedside manners
1. Patient-Centered Care
Most of patients indicated that they wanted their doctor to have at least one of the following qualities: compassion, comfort, patience, personality and bedside manner.
A good bedside manner has a considerable impact on patient health. With a growing focus on patient-centered care, healthcare providers must prioritize the experience and satisfaction of their patients.
A good bedside manner can play a crucial role in creating a positive and comforting atmosphere for patients, making them feel valued and involved in their own care. It helps build trust and improves overall patient experience and retention.
2. Emotional Support
Patients today can be dealing with high levels of stress, anxiety, and uncertainty. Whether they are facing a challenging diagnosis or undergoing treatment, emotional support is vital.
Healthcare professionals with excellent bedside manner can provide the necessary empathy and compassion to ease their patients’ emotional burden. This helps in fostering a sense of comfort and understanding.
3. Enhanced Communication
Effective communication is essential for ensuring that patients feel informed, understood, and involved in their healthcare decisions. When demonstrating a good bedside manner, this can play a significant role in clear and open communication between healthcare providers and patients.
This helps healthcare professionals explain complex medical information in a way that patients can understand, while also encouraging patients to ask questions and share their concerns.
4. Building Trust
Trust is the foundation of any successful doctor-patient relationship. A healthcare professional with good bedside manner can establish trust by actively listening, demonstrating empathy, and showing genuine care for their patients’ well-being.
Patients are more likely to follow through with treatment plans and advice from a trusted provider.
5. Patient Satisfaction and Compliance
A positive bedside manner can also improve patient compliance with treatment plans, medication regimens, and follow-up appointments. Patients who feel heard, respected and supported are more likely to actively participate in their own care, leading to better outcomes.
6. Stress Reduction
A visit to the doctor or a hospital can be stressful for patients and their families. A healthcare provider with pleasing bedside manner can help alleviate some of that stress by creating a calm and comforting environment.
The ability to empathize and provide emotional support can significantly reduce the anxiety that patients may experience during medical procedures and/or consultations.
7. Physician Well-Being
A good bedside manner is not only beneficial to patients but it also contributes to the well-being of healthcare providers. A positive doctor-patient relationship and the ability to provide compassionate care can enhance job satisfaction for healthcare professionals.
It reminds them of the importance and impact of their work, leading to a more fulfilling career in the medical field.
8. Getting Patients Acquainted with Medical Devices
Over the years, medical technology has made leaps and bounds and continues to improve every day. For facilities that use advance medical equipment, it may be strange for patients to undergo care they aren’t familiar with.
In these situations, it’s vital for their trusted healthcare professional to have empathy and clearly communicate the use of the technologies when necessary.
Practical skills that will help you fine-tune your bedside manner include:
- Introduce yourself to patients, and explain your role.
- Greet them with a smile; a greeting (“good morning”); and open-ended questions, such as “How are you?”
- Take the time to really listen (rather than typing into the health record or writing on a chart).
- Use body language that communicates that you care by sitting down, unfolding your arms, and making eye contact.
- Let the patient tell their story without interruption.
- Treat each patient as an equal partner in their care.
- Agree on what matters most, and develop shared priorities.
- Set expectations, and explain timelines.
- Be candid but diplomatic and, above all, nonjudgmental.
- Avoid use of stigmatizing words, such as smoker, drinker, demented, and mentally challenged. Use such alternative terms as history of tobacco use, substance use disorder, alcohol use disorder, vascular dementia, and person with intellectual disability.
- Ask if they have any questions. “Were all your questions answered?” “Is there anything else I can do … ?”
- End each encounter with a compassionate statement, and direct them about the next steps.
Examples of Implementing a Good Bedside Manner
Implementing a good bedside manner is a crucial skill that can take time to develop. Exploring some good bedside manner examples can help professionals understand how to apply it in real settings.
Make a Good First Impression
A medical professional can practice a good bedside manner by creating a good first impression with every patient. One of the easiest ways to make a good first impression is to address the patient by their last name, preceded by the proper form of address. Being formal can help a nurse or physician remain professional, though they can ask the patient what name they prefer to go by.
A medical professional can also make a good first impression by acknowledging others in the room. This may include shaking the hand of a patient’s spouse or offering a high-five to a young child. Acknowledging the patient’s support system can be helpful for establishing trust.
Speak Professionally and Use Proper Medical Terms
A health care provider can speak professionally and use proper medical terms when discussing a patient’s condition. They can recognize that their patients likely don’t have a medical background and do their best to explain complicated concepts in everyday language. A medical professional can also make an effort to treat the patient as their equal and not talk down to them.
Practice Nonverbal Cues
Showing proper nonverbal cues is an important element of a good bedside manner. A health care provider can maintain good eye contact and an attentive, upright posture to build trust and professionalism. The provider may also consider sitting down during an appointment when appropriate. This can help a patient see that a provider isn’t rushed and has the time to listen to their needs and concerns.
Practice Redirecting a Conversation
Being personable is an important aspect of a good bedside manner. However, it’s essential for a health care provider to lead a conversation and redirect it when necessary. Ensuring that the topic of conversation remains on the patient’s health and recovery goals is an utmost pillar of professionalism.
Value Patients’ Time
A medical professional can run behind if one of their patients’ visits last longer than they initially expected. The professional can value patients’ time and exhibit a good bedside manner by apologizing for the delay. They can also assure their patients that they have their undivided attention for the duration of the appointment and that they’re available to help however they can.
Engage in Active Listening It’s important for medical professionals to be active listeners. They can listen to patients’ concerns and record symptoms while remaining engaged. If a medical professional wants to take notes or refer to medical records, they can consider using a notepad and paper records. If they prefer to use a computer, they can set up their monitor and keyboard in a way that they can still face the patient. They can also make a conscious effort to not get distracted by what’s on the screen.
REFERENCE
- Zulman DM, Haverfield MC, Shaw JG, et al. Practices to foster physician presence and connection with patients in the clinical encounter. JAMA. 2020;323:70-81. [PMID: 31910284] doi:10.1001/jama.2019.19003
- Ripp J, Babyatsky M, Fallar R et al. The incidence and predictors of job burnout in first-year internal medicine residents: a five-institution study. Acad Med 2011; 86: 1304-10.
- Batt-Rawden SA, Chisolm MS, Anton B, and Flickinger TE. Teaching empathy to medical students: an updated, systematic review. Acad Med 2013; 88: 1171-77.
- Nasca TJ, Philibert I, Brigham T, and Flynn TC. The next GME accreditation system – rationale and benefits. N Engl J Med 2012; 366: 1051-56.
- Mastering Bedside Manners for Better Patient Experience, December 29, 2024, https://www.auamed.org/blog/bedside-manners/
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